Downed platform and submerged hydrocarbon conduits can become victim to uncontrolled oil and gas leaks. For example, platforms toppled by hurricanes can have multiple wells leaking oil and gas, creating an oil sheen on the surface and polluting exposed shorelines. Current oil and gas separation is performed on the water's surface using support vessels with separator equipment, or skimmer vessels, and/or cleaning crews to remove leaked oil from beaches. Surface vessels typically have separation units and recover the oil from the surface once it creates a sufficient sheen. Typically, a flare tower is not needed as the depth from which the gas is venting does not allow visible gas bubbles to show on the surface.
Collection domes can be used to effectively collect the leaking oil and gas streams, but, as the water depth (e.g., over 100 fsw) and distance from other fixed structures increase, the ability to separate the collected oil and gas from the leaking wells becomes a challenge requiring a topside support vessel. Further, subsea installation avoids topside support vessels which may or may not be able to stay on location in bad weather.